Chapter 10/Final: Home of the Titan
The morning came for the Titans Tower. Ash and Kole slept soundly after their date. Most of the Titans were in the main room. Robin fixed himself some breakfast, Raven drank herbal tea and Beast Boy played a fighting game. Starfire fed Pikachu and Silkie as she looked through Ash's device. Robin observed this sight. "You think you're gonna find a Pokémon you like in there?" he teased. Starfire wasn't concerned.
"I believe there are more forms of Pikachu that are in this device," she pondered. Looking through the device, she found something that made her squeal so loud, the water around the tower made waves. It also stirred Ash and Kole from their sleep and Beast Boy fumbled his controller. Her cheer couldn't have been worse. Beast Boy's opponent in the game took advantage and knocked his character out, losing the round. "This is so adorable!" Beast Boy would wonder what the outburst was about if not for her scream.
"Star, I was three rounds away from an achievement!" he argued. Robin didn't think Beast Boy's quest was a big deal.
"It's just a game, Beast Boy," he reassured. "You'll get another chance." Starfire showed Robin her joy: a tiny yellow mouse like Pikachu but with a smaller tail, ears and pink cheeks.
"Is this mouse not just the cutest?" she cooed. She hit the play button.
"Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon," the device recorded. "Unlike its evolved form of Pikachu, Pichu's electric sacs have yet to develop and will shock themselves." Holding the device, Starfire began to picture herself holding a Pichu.
"Suddenly, I fear for any Pokémon that's within Starfire's grasp," Raven mulled. Ash and Kole entered the main room to see the commotion.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"We could've slept through midday together without that shout, Star," Kole complained. Pikachu ran up to Ash and joined on his shoulder with Kole offering a friendly little pet.
"Star saw a Pichu on your PokéDex," Robin answered. Starfire became eager to question Pikachu's origin.
"So how long did you have Pichu before it evolved to your best friend?" she wondered. Ash and Pikachu blinked before he cleared the air.
"Star, Pikachu's been my first Pokémon before I saw a Pichu," he clarified. Starfire seemed perplexed by the reply. Before anyone could ask for an explanation, Cyborg entered the room with news of his own.
"Morning, Ash!" he greeted. "How's your body?" Ash turned to Cyborg, greeting him with a high-five.
"Not all the way there but it's better than it was a week ago." Cyborg believed him, his body moving about what it was before the battle in the Arctic.
"Well, your other friends will have to do the rest of your rehab. I just finished an invention to open dimensions and found one partaking your world." Starfire and Kole feared about Ash's fate. "I'm getting you home, dude." The news brought some heartbreak to the other Titans. Raven didn't react to the information. Ash, willing to return to his lifestyle, nodded to the detail. On the roof, Cyborg's invention started to warm up. It was a tower with a satellite dish attached to a computer tower. "This should take about half an hour to warm up before it's in use. I've got it programmed to send you back to the day after your fall from your world." Ash blinked again to the information.
"You can go that far back?"
"Well, think about it: you've been here for about three weeks. I assume by that time, everyone searching would rule you and your Pokémon dead. You would've had that funeral or memorial for you, black ribbons over your pictures..." Pikachu squeaked in protest. He heard enough.
"I see what you mean." Raven came forward first and met with Ash.
"I'm not normally known to show affection," she admitted before hugging Ash. Kole smiled to seeing the affectionate hug. "Don't ignore your meditation." Ash nodded, not wanting the wrath of a half-demon. Starfire came next with an armful of silver beaded necklaces.
"I know it is not the time of the year for this but I am willing to make an acceptation," she explained. "There is a holiday on Tamaran called Blorthog. It is the festival of friendship and these necklaces are my gift to your Pokémon." Realizing her request, Ash released his Pokémon for her gifts. "Soon enough, rekma will occur." She began placing the necklaces around the heads of the Pokémon, flying to ring Snorlax and kneeling for Phanpy. "However, these beads are the links between us as friends, Tamaraneans, Teen Titans and Pokémon alike." With one more around Pikachu, her dressing ended.
"By rekma..." wondered Ash.
"Rekma is the bonds weakening and drifting apart among friends." Hearing the meaning, Ash realized the concept of their departure.
"Star, my Pokémon and I may be going back to our world, but at no point will we forget who we've been friends with." Starfire smiled and hugged Ash, nearly forgetting about the injuries he still had.
"You are indeed a friend that I will love, despite that Kole is your betrothed." That's when Ash recalled something else.
"Which reminds me..." Ash dug into his pocket and pulled the T-Communicator out. "Robin, I won't be needing this anymore." Seeing the device, Robin gulped.
"Your T-Communicator?" he figured.
"I won't be needing it. When I return back to my world, I'll be back to being a Pokémon trainer, no longer a Teen Titan. Don't get me wrong, I still had a blast with you guys. Could do with less of… them." Looking down, those on the roof saw the fangirls cheering for Ash.
"At least some not wanting you," Beast Boy shrugged. Robin looked to have taken the T-Communicator from Ash's hand, but pushed it back at him.
"You keep it," he denied. Ash looked a little surprised.
"You sure, Robin?" he gasped.
"It's yours. While we may not be able to communicate when you crossover, the T-Communicator is more than just a way to talk to us. It's also a symbol of what you've become. You may be going back to being a Pokémon trainer… but you'll always be a Teen Titan." Ash wasn't sure he wanted to keep the T-Communicator but from Robin's insistence, he caved.
"Thanks." Cyborg managed to work his machine as it revved up.
"Okay, it's starting to form," he announced. To Ash, his home world awaits.
"Ready to head home, Pikachu?" Kole came to Ash's side, perhaps a last kiss before leaving.
"Let me come with," she requested. "I want to meet your friends." Ash and Pikachu weren't sure how to reply to his new girlfriend. Meanwhile on the other land, Brock, May and Max exited a building with a red "P" on the front. May looked like she didn't get a wink of sleep.
"May, come on!" urged Max. May didn't recognize her brother's plea. To Brock, she felt responsible for Ash's fate.
"May's still feeling bad about what happened," he summarized. "Listen, May… Ash wouldn't go down so easily. He's survived plenty of falls beforehand, he can survive what happened." To May, even if Ash did survive, he's still may have been greatly injured and she blamed herself.
"If I wasn't in so much of a rush..." she whined, her tears flowing down. "If I didn't force everyone to hurry..." The boys looked on, helpless to aid her.
"Now I feel bad for her and I didn't do anything," Max murmured. Suddenly, a flash to the boys' side.
"Now what?!" gasped Brock. Looking after the flash, they saw a rift opening.
"Okay, who summoned a portal?" That's when the boys looked through the portal, finding their lost trainer.
"Ash!" they cheered in unison. May heard the cheers and turned as Pikachu leaped through the portal first and ran to Max and Brock before Ash and Kole joined.
"Pikachu!" squealed Max as he embraced Pikachu in a hug. May saw Ash's Pokémon, a sign that he'd lived. Cyborg had a piece of advice for Kole about crossing over.
"You only have ten minutes before the portal closes," he warned. Kole nodded before Ash leaped in. She followed. Brock was the first to spot the boy that fell "the night before."
"Ash, you're okay!" he shouted. May heard his name and saw him with Kole not far behind.
"Brock!" called out Ash. "Max!" Kole saw the boys, somewhat smiling at Max for how he handled Pikachu. Seeing Ash, May dashed and embraced the one she endangered.
"Ash!" she cried as she hugged him. The squeeze wasn't as strong as Starfire but he did wince at the pain he still lingered.
"Easy, May! I'm still hurt!" May unwrapped her arms and saw Ash holding his ribs in discomfort. Once standing straight up, May wanted to apologize for her actions.
"Ash, I'm sorry about trying to get to the next Pokémon Contest without thinking. I know you're trying to protect me and I..." Tears still trickled down her face.
"Relax. Everything is fine." May gasped, his resolution surprising her.
"That's what you gotta love about Ash," Kole smirked. "He's a friend regardless what you do to him." Now, his friends recognized Kole's presence.
"Almost forgot you came with him," Max realized.
"Sorry, Max. I'm Kole… and you could say that Ash and I happen to be dating." Brock's jaw dropped a few seconds after Kole's confession.
"WHAT?!" he gawked. Brock may be in dismay but Max grinned to the pink-haired girl's announcement.
"Whoa, Ash!" he chuckled. "A lucky Arcanine if you ask me." To Ash, he believed May would be jealous of his friend from Pallet Town getting a girl like him. Much to his surprise, May somewhat accepted her.
"Considering what I did to put Ash through his state, you're more deserving to have him than I could," she offered. Kole giggled as she shook May's hand.
"Like Ash wants to say, don't worry about it," she calmly replied. "Besides, he wanted to be back here with you guys." May smiled but Max turned to Brock who crouched down in a fetal position.
"How is he the one to get a girlfriend and not me?!" he whimpered. The others saw Brock, different reactions from each face.
"Considering how often Max pulls him away from any girl he chases..." May recalled.
"He's hopeless," Max mulled.
"I would say that he needs to take my advice but that's a tall order for him to understand," Ash shrugged before remembering the portal. "Anyway, I think you need to get back. The portal's gonna close soon."
"You're right," Kole acknowledged. "I don't wanna keep Gnarrk waiting. Perhaps we can see each other again." Ash bobbed a nod.
"I'm sure we will." Trusting his word, Kole kissed Ash which awed Pikachu and the siblings.
"That's adorable," May cooed with Pikachu on her shoulder. After parting lips, Kole dashed off to the portal and entered. In a flash, the portal vanished. That's when Max noticed the necklace on Pikachu given to him by Starfire.
"What's this?" he asked. Pikachu squeaked to say he liked the beads.
"Someone gave us these necklaces to honor Blorthog," Ash clarified. "I'll explain on the way." To May, the trip would need to wait.
"What about your ribs?" she asked in concern. Ash scoffed to his injuries.
"All we're doing is walking. It'll also be great to work these back in shape."
"Which is more than what we can say about Brock at this point in time," Max teased. Getting back up, Brock tried to put a brave face on all that occurred.
"He's right," he agreed to Ash's assessment. "Besides, we're nearby the next town holding the contest." The mentioning brought May to cheer before settling for Ash.
"You know, if you didn't show up just now or before we got to the next Pokémon Contest," she started. "I would've done my next show in your memory." Ash nodded to her wish.
"By the way, I know I told you to ease off the hug," he brought up. "No offense but I've been hugged a heck of a lot harder." May gulped, the thought of someone squeezing Ash to death.
"Yeesh! Was it harder to breathe?"
"Much harder." The trainers began to walk off to the next town, continuing their journey.
(Months later, Professor Oak's Ranch, Pallet Town)
Ash lied under a tree with Pikachu and some more creatures, one being a purple monkey with a puffed-up paw for a tail. "That was one exhausting adventure," he huffed. Pikachu agreed. "All we can look forward to is the next region and the next league. Right now, it's to spend time with you guys before we're leaving for-" A chime sounded, alerting the Pokémon nearby. It was a familiar tone but Ash dug in his pocket. He pulled the T-Communicator out. To Ash, it wasn't possible. "The Titans? How?" That's when a portal merged. A young black man in a gray mask and blue hood used a trump. "What's going on?" Starfire flew through the portal first.
"Ash!" she yelled as she hugged Ash when meeting him, the squeeze as strong as ever.
"Starfire… Nice to see you again… and feel the air leave my lungs… Okay, let go!" Starfire relented as the other Titans entered the ranch, including Kole who met with Ash.
"Hey, handsome!" she greeted before the two kissed. Robin and another pink-haired girl came to see Ash. Her grayish skin was like Raven's while her hair resembled a horseshoe and she wore dark purple/black leather clothes.
"Ash!" called out Robin. Ash clapped hands and bumped shoulders.
"Robin!" he replied. "What's up?"
"Thought we come over to see how you're doing." Ash chuckled before the new pink-haired saw him. "Are your friends around here." Ash bowed to the question.
"May's going on a new adventure on her own to the Johto Region, and Max and Brock had gone to their homes in Petalburg and Pewter Cities." The Titans missed their chance to meet Ash's friends. "Meantime, I'm waiting word on any new leagues for me to try out after I turned down an offer to run my own Pokémon gym or Frontier stage."
"Always on the move, right?" concluded Cyborg. Ash nodded, agreeing to the idea. That's when the new pink-haired girl spoke up.
"So, this is the young Titan who bashed former bozo teammates of mine?" she noticed. It took Ash a little while to think before having a guess to who she referred to.
"You don't mean Gizmo and Mammoth, right?" he guessed.
"Yeah, the same ones, dude," Beast Boy confirmed with a green dinosaur by him. The yellowish-green dinosaur had a leaf on its head and green buds around its neck. "Now could you advise this Pokémon to back from me?" Ash giggled before helping Beast Boy.
"Don't worry, Bayleef. They're friends of mine." Bayleef chirped and acknowledged the Titans.
"Anyway, this is Jinx," Robin introduced. "She's a former member of H.I.V.E., and now's an honorary Teen Titan. Same with Herald who brought us here." Herald came forward and shook Ash's hand.
"You may be cute for a young man, let alone a Titan," Jinx complimented. "But we've already got partners, as does Robin." To Ash, he thought Robin and Jinx were a pair like himself with Kole.
"Wait… not you two..." Jinx laughed and shook her head.
"Not her, Ash," Robin corrected. Starfire came forward with a blue mouse in her arms. The mouse had rather long nose and four red spots on its back.
"Robin and I have started dating," she clarified. "Our relationship started in Tokyo, a month after Cyborg brought you back." The mouse in her arms awed the news.
"Seems Cyndaquil likes the word," Ash named. "But that's awesome for you two. Congrats!" Starfire giggled while Raven watched on with a crow on her arm. The crow looked like it had a spiked hat and a beak which was rather large.
"I think this place might be suitable for me, especially with something like this," she praised. Ash turned to find the half-demon with the crow.
"You and Murkrow look ideal together." Raven itched Murkrow's beak, pleasing the bird.
"Anyway, Ash," Cyborg spoke up. "How'd you do with the Battle Frontier that you mentioned?"
"I completed it. All seven Battle Frontier symbols are back home if you wanna see." Kole hugged Ash from behind as her praise.
"Never doubt the Teen Titan trainer once," she laughed. Ash giggled to the praise.
"Anyway, would you like to stop by my house? Mom's making Deep Dish Chili Dog Pizzas and I could show you my winnings." Kole and Starfire wanted to go. Then Ash remembered Beast Boy's disapproval of meat. "Don't worry, Beast Boy. I'm sure Mom can whip up a salad." Beast Boy nodded to the suggestion.
"Kole's right," he realized. "Never doubt you for a second." Before the group could start their way through the Pokémon, a group of evil laughing. All turned to the laughter to find a black helicopter with a red "R" on the nose. Inside, a trio. In white uniforms with matching red "R" emblems, a crimson redhead woman and an ice-violet man. Along with the two humans was a white cat with a curled tail and gold oval charm stuck on its forehead.
"Welcome back to Pallet Town!" the redhead started. "Now prepare for trouble!"
"We're finally here!" the ice-violet-haired snickered. "Might wanna make it double!"
"An evil as old as the galaxy!"
"Sent here to fulfill our destiny-" The ice-violet-haired stopped when he saw Beast Boy. "Jessie, skin isn't suppose to be green, right?"
"Who cares, James!" The Titans looked rather perplexed to who piloted the helicopter.
"I do not understand the two and their white cat," Starfire wondered.
"That's Team Rocket," Ash replied. "They've been after me to steal Pikachu for a long time." Starfire and Kole gasped to the information.
"Dude, not cool!" snapped Beast Boy.
"It will be once we leave youse all in da dust!" the cat mewed. This got Beast Boy's attention.
"Wait, that cat can talk?" Starfire wasn't willing to have Ash and Pikachu at risk.
"A pair of adults going after a young man like you for your partner?" she growled before flying up to the Rockets. The three freaked out at seeing the Tamaranean airborne.
"How's that twerpette flying?!" gawked James.
"You three! No shame among going after a young man for a mouse that can be found in the world? There is a saying from my world, and you are Klorbag Varblenelks!" James and the cat blinked to the name from Starfire.
"Does anyone know what she just said?" the cat asked. "I may need a translator for this."
"Well, it's not a language I'm familiar with, Meowth," James itched. Jessie roared to the name.
"How dare you!" she snarled. James and Meowth blinked to Jessie's reaction.
"Wait, you understood that?!" they gawked in surprise.
"She just insulted us! I don't care that she can fly, she's still a twerpette!" Starfire fired eye beams, snapping the propellers from the helicopter. It fell onto the trees, breaking the fall and crashing rather softly, scores of Pokémon fleeing. The three exited from the downed vehicle, relatively uninjured and stumbled to find the Titans looking down at them. "This isn't over… not until Pikachu's ours!" The Titans armed themselves, ready to take Team Rocket out.
"Why don't you give the word," Robin offered. Ash blinked and turned to the leader of the Titans.
"The word?" he repeated.
"Well, it's your home. You have my consent to say it." Ash nodded, ready to unleash the Titans on those who've pursued him for so long.
"Been wanting to say it for a long time..." Team Rocket faced Titans. They should have surrendered. Ash couldn't have asked for better friends, let alone a girlfriend with superpowers. There's only one thing he needed to say. "Titans, go!"
THE END.
(That was enjoyable, and I hope everyone reading this had fun as well. Okay, because of multiple discussions, I'll be starting W.I.T.C.H. soon, one because of discussions and two, a tie within my polls between Digimon Frontier and RWBY. I still have invites for my Summer story to do, including Pokémon up next. Which series will it be? Stay tuned.)